4- The Michigan Daily Summer Weeky - Wednesday, May 26,1993
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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hope Calati
OPINION EDITORS
Sam Goodstein
Flint Jason Wainess
Unsigned editorials present the opinion of a
majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other
cartoons, signed articles and letters do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Daily.
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
76-DAILY
Edited and Managed by
Students at the
University of Michigan
4
I
E verybody knows that politics makes
strange bedfellows, but who could have
guessed the latest marriage of convenience -
Gov.Engler andtheMichiganEducational Asso-
ciation(MEA).SeveralmonthsafterMEA mem-
bers wielded buttons comparing the governor to
the devil because of his failure to save Kalkaska
schools from premature closure, MEA officials
are working with Engler to promote the passage
ofProposalA-theJune2ndballotproposalthat
would constitutionallyraiseMichigan's sales tax
to 6 percent, lower property taxes and set a
minimumamountofper-pupilfunding forschool
districts at $4,800. In order to begin the promo-
tion of investment in our financially-strapped
state and alleviate some of the vast inequities in
school funding, we urge aYES vote on Proposal
A.
Opponentsof ProposalA, themostprominent
being Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and the
AFL-CIO,notethatuppingthesalestaxshiftsthe
tax burden from businesses to the individual. On
opening day at Tiger Stadium, Young told the
governor that Proposal A would be regressive
and wouldn't help the city of Detroit. He said he
Vote YES on ,A'
Proposal A would promote investment, schools
wouldconsiderbacking ProposalAonly if Engler
would back bringing casino gambling to Detroit.
Young couldn't be more misguided. In fact,
Michigan is currently a high property, low sales
tax state -a combination that discourages busi-
ness from investing in the state, especially in
Detroit. Proposal A would begin to turn this
skewed system around. While a sales tax is
regressive, casino gambling has been proven to
be regressive as well, and raise crime. Mayor
Young, therefore, will only endorse a regressive
sales tax increase if the governor will endorse a
detrimental, and regressive, casino.
For instance, examine the financial effects
Proposal A would have on a low-income renter
earning $10,000peryearinDetroit. According to
a1992U.S.BureauofLaborStatistic,anew sales
tax would cost thelow-incomerenter $105 while
yieldingnoproperty taxsaving.Atthesame time,
however,any children thelow-incomerenterhad
would each receive about $30 extra in their
schooling.Atthesame time, therenter'slandlord
would be paying lower property taxes and, there-
fore, could lower rent. In addition, the lower
property tax could open up more, or perhaps
better, job opportunities in the renter's area.
But Proposal A does more than simply create
a friendly environment for investment. It would
help bridge the inequalities that exist in school
funding throughout Michigan. The closing of
Kalkaska schools earlier thisyear was a harbin-
gerofthe problems tocomeifthesystemdoesn't
change. Until basic equality is reached in shool
funding, one's position in life will continue to be
a product not based on merit, but on inheritance.
This is not to say that Proposal A is the
solution for reaching equality in school funding.
Tax-based sharing is the only fair system in a
meritocratic society. However, Proposal A is the
best compromise that has been put forward. If it
doesn't pass, most likely Gov. Engler and the
conservativelegislaturewillrailroadpropertytax
cuts through anyway - without a vote of the
people.'This would be devastating ifschoolswere
not compensated.
Unfortunately, distrust of politicians has led
many to oppose Proposal Abecause they say the
legislature will probably just waste the new rev-
enue andnot spend itin the schools-as was the
case with the lottery a few years ago. These
concerns are understandable, but unfounded as
schools wouldbe constitutionally guaranteed the
increased funding.
Proposal A is not perfect, but it is a compro-
mise thatcan help Michigan.Everyone involved
in its shaping should be commended for putting
politics aside for the good of thepeople. Finally,
a proposal has been put forth that would begin to
end reliance on the property tax and begin to put
schools first. A vote for Proposal A is a vote for
the state of Michigan's future.
Back to the future
Military's new policy mirrors oppression of 1940s
L nfortunatety, basiness as usual has per- lucid parallel, Sen.Nunn, military leaders, and a
aded Washington once again. Instead of a plethora of members of Congress fail to realize
fresh, new Congress led by a president eager to that they are advocating blatant discrimination.
promote equality for all, we find ourselves laden The stereotypes that far too many people have
with politicians intent on perpetuating stereo- concerning homosexuality are only furthered
types andrmaking politically expedient compro- when politicians and military personnel argue
mises - not promoting positive change. This over whether or not a gay person will court a
week, advocates of lifting the ban lost a major heterosexual during a tour of duty. It is, frankly,
battle when a deal was worked out that would rather pathetic to watch supposed leaders bicker
allow homosexuals to serve in the military, con- oversuch aridiculous situation, and itis demean-
tingent on the fact that they do not reveal their ing to homosexuals and heterosexuals alike.
sexual orientation - and the military does not The raging debate over homosexuals in the
ask. military has gone hand in hand with a more
This deal, principally orchestrated by Sen. general debate over homosexuality and its rela-
Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D- tionship with the Christian faith. Fundamentalist
Mass.), is absurd for myriad social and political Christians have decried homosexuality as im-
reasons. It is a step backward in the continuing moral and against the teachings of Christ, and
struggle for equal rights. The fact is that homo- have propelled the issue to the forefront of the
sexuals currently serve in the military, and are public's attention. Their claims that allowing
forced to hide their sexual orientation. The new homosexuals in the military would be wrong for
policy hardly improves the situation at all. Fur- religious reasons are simply inappropriate. It
thermore, the homosexual community has been appears that they do not realize that the United
let down by President Clinton, whom it has States is not a Christian nation. Instead it is a
supported and trusted, because he allowed Con- nation that should, although it often fails to,
gress tointimidatehimoutof forcing themilitary embrace allpeople.Whether or not homosexual-
to change its neanderthal-like policy and he was ity is immoral according to Christian morality
unable to work out a positive compromise in should be irrelevant when the issue is the inclu-
Congress. sion of homosexuals in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Military leaders claim thatpermitting homo- After all of the politicalbickering is over, and
sexuals to openly serve in the armed forces will a new issue embraces the front pages of our
debilitate morale. They cry that openly gay men newspapers, what will have changed? Nothing.
and women will intimidateheterosexualsoldiers As before, homosexuals will be forced to hide
and disturb the unity so pivotal to the military. their sexuality. The arguments for this policy are
Ibis argument is, for lack of a better word, ridiculousandunfounded,butnotsurprising con-
nonsense. In the 1940s, under pressure to allow sidering the struggle African Americans were
African Americans in the armed forces, many forced to endure in integrating the armed forces
military leaders vociferously claimedthatallow- 50 years ago.
ing African Americans into the army would de- Rep.Frank, ahomosexual,made the compro-
stroy morale and ruin the very same unity that misebecausehe feltit was the only alternative to
currentmilitaryexpertsclaimwouldbe disrupted blatant oppression against homosexuals in the
by the inclusion of homosexuals. Obviously, military. Unfortunately, for all of us, he is prob-
these claims proved to be untkue. Despite the ably right.
Dr. Death still alive
Judge abolsihes new and future assisted suicide laws
0
.Death received yet another reprieve
rom the Michigan state judiciary last week
asWayneCounty Circuit JudgeCynthiaStephens
struck down alawbanningassistedsuicide within
the state on procedural grounds.
The law was rushed into effect on Feb. 25 by
the state Legislatureina feeble attempt to halt the
handiwork of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. The previous
week Kevorkian assisted in the suicides of three
terminally ill patients. The legislation made as-
sisting asuicide punishable by up to four years in
prison and a $2,000 fine.
Although the law was abolished on the basis
ofproceduralgrounds alone,thestatementsmade
by Judge Stephens pertaining to conceivable
futurealterationstothebillpaintableak future for
this legislation. IfStephens had struck down the
law solely due to a technicality, the possibility of
governmental meddling into individual rights
would remain a distinct possibility. The ruling,
however, cited the fact that legislation of this
variety infringesupon anindividual'srightto self
determination. This statement thus links theright
to assisted suicide to other self-determinedrights
such as religious freedom, free speech and due
process. The message obviously did not come
through loud and clear to the state capitol in
Lansing.
A spokesperson for Gov.JohnEngler said the
state had not yet decided what its next course of
action would be.'The words modify and appeal
were heard emanating from the capitol building.
An appeal or amodified bill would represent yet
another attempt by government to override the
courts insteadof protecting the citizensofMichi-
gan.
Now that the courts have clearly stated their
intent to protect assisted suicide, Engler and
company wouldbe better off attempting toregu-
late the availabilityof assistedsuicidethroughout
the state. It is far more important for the govern-
ment to protect people from improperly per-
formed assisted suicides than to continue to fight
a losing battle with the courts.
The ultimate goal of assisted suicide is to
make a painlessdeath possible for people suffer-
ing from terminal illnesses. Assisted suicide left
to physicians and medical personnel trained in
the artof preserving life,notending it peacefully,
could be apotential threat topatients.The state of
Michigan would be better off becoming a leader
in regulating and training its medical community
in the artof performing assisted suicides with the
highest degree of competency.
Judge Stephens made abold statement as to
the concreteness of therighttoself determination
in the future. The availability of her ruling as a
beneficial alternative for those suffering from
painful terminalillnesses remains in the handsof
the govemment in Lansing to execute.
Instead of further hindering the implementa-
tion of Stephen's ruling, legislators could truly
protect the people of Michigan by educating the
medical community so that they are able to per-
form their job with the greatest proficiency.
Protest peacefully
According to a study released this week by
the environmentaladvocacy groupZeroPopu-
lation Growth, Ann Arbor ranks second best
among all cities in quality of life for children.
This should not bode well in the minds of
University students. While our friends in resi-
dential Ann Arbor enjoy one of the most
beautiful, enchanting cities in the nation, stu-
dentsareburdenedby therestrictivepoliciesof
an oppressive administration -the Code, the
Diag Policy, Deputization, all examples of an
administration attempting toquellthe voiceof
its students. We should tolerate the Dude and
hismerrybandofenforcersnolonger.Take the
spirit that makes Ann Arbor so desirable and
use it to exercise your most fundamental right
-the right to peacefully protest.